Anchoring device for dental bridge work



March 19, 1929. E. SGRENSEN 1,705,504

ANCHORING DEVICE FOR DENTAL BR IDGEWORK Filed March 26, 1927 1 INVENTOR- EM/L SOEYENSEN and in .the preferred form, extending beyond Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

EMIL SORENSEN, on NEW YORK, 1v.

ANGHQRING DEVICE FOR DENTAL BR DGE WORK.

' Application fileii'March 26, 1927.! Seria1 No. i7s,57 0.

My'invention relates to anchoring devices for dental bridge work andhas for its b jectto provide a'novel and improved means for removably anchoring such bridge work to abutment teeth in the mouth. The inventioncontemplatesparticularly the provision of an anchoringdevice of the indicated type in which the possibility of breakage is avoided and whereby a secure connection I with the abutment teeth is effected Without 7 interfering with the intentional removal of in Fig. 1; the cap 13' is'dimensionedto fit.

such bridge work when this is desired. Other objects willappear, from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims;

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate examples of the invention without defining its limits, Fig. '1 is a perspective view showing the component parts of the anchoring device separated from each other; Fig.2 is a perspective view showing the novel device in the form of a bridge carrying two teeth;"Fig. 3 is aplan view showing the bridge work connected to the-abutment teeth by means of the novel device; Fig. 4 is'a fragmentary section approximately on the line 44 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another form of the anchoring device. a The anchoring device inall of its forms comprises a rigid 'member, preferably T- shaped, in combination with a resilient cap -mounteduponthe cross bar or flange of the rigid member and adapted to extend therewith into a co-operating recessed member fixed in the conventionalj'way'in the abut-,

vment tooth for establishing a frictional con- I nection between said recessed member and accordingly between the abutment tooth and Q thejanchoring device, wherebythela'tter is removably connected with said abutment tooth; In the preferred form, the resilient' cap isremovably fixed upon the rigid mem-' ber, suitable provision being made for preventing unintentional separationof the cap and said rigidmember.

- In Figs; 1 to 4 of he drawing, the anchor consists of a T-shaped member comprising a cross bar 10 a'ndan integral web 11 projecting perpendicularly from one face thereof,

the cross bar 10 in the form of a continuing projection 12, as shown in Fig. 1, the urpose of which will be set forth more ully I hereinafter. Thecross-bar l0 and the webll with its continuing projection 12 constitute respectively a holding member for connecting thefdental bridge work with a natural abutmentjtooth, and an attaching member arranged for attachment to a false tooth. The resilient cap is constructed in tlie'form of a hollow sleevel3 of tuloularform closed at its one end and open at its opposite end, and slottedlengthwise'as indicated at 14 in Fig. l for the accommodation of the web 11, and to provide resilient members 15 upon opposite sides of said slot 14;, as also shown upon the cross bar orv flange 10 soas to ex-' tend throughout the vertical length thereof and preferably is curved slightly" as shown best in Figs. 2 and 3; The arrangement is such that in'the fully coinbined "condition of the parts, the 'members 15 are spaced slightly from the cross-bar 10 as shown in Fig. 2 so to be capable of developing V yielding movements. It will be under'stood that the cross-sectional form of thesleeve 13 may be. varied to properly co-operate with the anchor. I Suitable means is provided for maintaining the'cap 13 against unintentional removal from the cross 'bar 10, said means being shown in the illustrated exam ple in the form of notches 16 provided on the opposite vertical edges ofthe crossbar l0 and inwardly extending projections 17, located-upon the corresponding sidewalls of the cap 13. If desired, a single recess or notch'16 may beprovided in the face of the 7 cross bar 10, in which case afsingleco-operating projection 17" may be provided upon I the major wallfof the cap 13, as shown; in

Fig. 4; if. desired, both of the fastening means illustrated and described .m'ay 11b9, in-

eluded, as shown in Fig. 2. In the preferred arrangement, the notches 16' and co-opera't'jing projections 17 orthe recess 16 'and cooperating projection 17, are formed by means of a suitable indenting instrument, after the cap orsleeve l3 'has been placed in position upon thecross bar 10; it will of course be understood that thisis-not absolutely essential and that the notches and projections maybe formed in the crossbar.

and cap independently I and before the latter 18 in the number-required are mounted upon the bridge in combination with the anchoris-applied to the cross bar." The false'teet'h ing' device in the customary manner, sothat the cross bar 10 is located: at a'slight distance from the terminal teeth'as shown, for

instance, in Fig. 2, andasocket-19 of suit able shape and dimensions'is cemented to each abutmenttooth, as indicated in Figs.

8 and 4. The socket 19 is shaped to correspond to the shape of the cross bar 10, but

' is slightly larger in size, and further, isslot dation, of

and the notches 1 6 and/orlfi have been previously' formed on the cap 13 and cross bar 10, said projections will engage said notches in this position. of the cap 13 and co-operate to fix it in place against unintentional removal fromthe anchor; otherwise said projections andnotches willbe formedby indenting the cap 13 and cross bar 10 at the proper points by means of a suitable indenting instrument to produce the same result.

The. cap 13, when connected with the anchor, retains the inherent resiliency of the mem- ,bers 15, because the latter are spaced from the crossbar 10 and increases. the dimensions of the latter'to such an extent that the combined cross bar 10 and cap 13 will snugly fit; into the socket 19. Inthis way a resilient frictional connection is established between the socket l9 and the anchor,

' wherebythe latter is detachably fixed in the socket and the bridge Work is removably fixed in place. VVhen-removal of the bridge workis desired,it is simply necessary to exert a vpullingforce thereon suflicient to overcome the aforesaid resilient frictional connection an d,to enable the anchor with the cap in place thereon, to be withdrawn from the socket 19; this: is accomplished without breaking the connection. between the cap 13 and the cross bar 10..

V 1 In the form shown in Fig. 5, the de;

vice is essentially. the same as in the form I first described, and difi'ers' therefrom simply in the type of fastening device which is provided 7 for preventing unintentional separation of the cap 13 from the cross bar 10. As shown in Fig. 5, the fastening de-' vice in this form comprises alug 2O integral with the cap 13 and in'its normal condition projectingin the direction of, the length thereof; in-its operative position, this lug 2O isbent transversely over the one end of the crossbar 10;and in combination with the closed end of the cap 13'maintains the latter in place on the anchor. lVhen intentional removal of the cap in this-formof the device is desired, it is simply necessary to bend the lug 20 back into an upright pt ily i removed.

sition, after which the cap 13 may be eas- The novel device is extremely simple in construction and eflicient in operation, and avolds the danger of breakage in those parts which are not easily replaceable, thatis to say, the anchor itself is of rigid constructionthroughoutand requires no bending of any of its parts to provide the desired re- I siliency and also does away With'the necessity for soldering or welding. The cap 13 which constitutes an independent resilient device and is separate from the anchor itself is accordingly not subjected to the effects of any heat which may be applied in the process of completing the bridge work and" accordingly is not annealed; as a result of this, the inherent resiliency of the cap is not interfered with, and the latter therefare develops ,atall times a resilient "frictional grip of maximum efliciency. Furthermore, the fact that no solder. is used posi tively prevents the structural stability of the device from becoming aifected, regardless or how many times the anchor its'elfmay be subjected to a heat treatment in the production of the bridge Work. The projection 12 is provided onthe Web 11 so that if those teeth which are opposed to the false teeth carried by the bridge work are deep, 4S0 that it is necessary to cut awaya partof the web 11. of the-cross bar 10, sufiicient material will remain for adequately;- attaching the bridge work to the false teeth. 1f,

through continued use, the cap 13 in anyIof its forms should become damaged, said cap a may bereadily removed from the anchor by" simply overcmning the engagement between the projections 17 and notches 16 01' between the pro ection 17 and the notch 16 after which the efficiency. of the device may be restored by simply substituting another and perfect cap.

Various changes in spirit of the invention. 1

I claim:

av socket member adapted to be fixed to. a

1. A bridge anchoring device comprising thespe fio formshownand described may be made within the scope of the claims Without departing fromthe :1:

natural abutment.tooth,;a rigid anchor arranged to be fixed to afalse toothi-and ineluding a vertical memberprojecting beyond the latter and having a form complemental to said socket member, and a tubular closed end cap fitted on saidvertical-member and split lengthwise to formresilient members arranged to extend longitudinally of said vertical member throughout the. verticallength thereof and throughout the vertical 3 length of said socket member to eifect-a r.e-,

silient connection betweensaid anchor and socket member whereby said false-tooth is detachably connected with. said naturalabutment tooth.

2. A bridge anchoring'device comprisinga a socket me1nbe1f,,- a; rigid 'Tl-sha'ped anchor independent, resilient tubular cap remov ably mounted upon the cross-bar of said anchor and extending longitudinally thereof throughout the vertical length of said cross bar, said cap being adapted toextend with said anchor into said socket member for establishing a resilient, frictional connec- I tion between said member and said anchor a socket member, a rigid T-shaped anchor.

adapted to set into said socket member, an independent cap open at one end and closed at its oppositeend, said cap being slot-ted lengthwise to form resilient members and being slidably mounted upon the cross-bar of said anchor and being arranged to extend therewith into said socket memberfor establishing a resilient, frictional connection between the socket member and said anchor whereby the latter removably fixed in said socket member, the closed end of said cap constituting an abutment to prevent slidable removal of said cap from said an chor in one direction, and means whereby slidable removal of said cap from said anchor in the other direction is resisted.

4. A bridge anchoring'device comprising a socket member, a rigid T-shaped anchor having a portion adapted to seat in said socket member, an independent, resilient cap dimensioned to slidably fit said socket member and said portion and adapted to be located between said socket-member and said portion for establishinga resilient, frictional connection between said member and said anchor whereby the latter is removably fixed in said member, the lower end ofsaid cap being closed, and means whereby removal of said cap from said ,an-'

chor is yieldingly resisted. In testimony whereof, I setmy hand.

HEMIL sonnnsnn.

have hereunto 

